Overplaid hosiery and method of making same



OVERPLAID HOSIERY AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed June 10, 1958 Figl.

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United States Patent OVERPLAID HOSIERY AND METHOD OF MAKING SAlVIE Nathan Levin, 722 Edgewood Ave., Trenton, NJ.

Filed June 10, 1958, Ser. No. 741,024

8 Claims. (Cl. 66-179) The present invention relates generally to the art of knitting and more particularly to Argyle type hosiery, or the like, having a tubular leg portion formed of suture joined areas of separate body fabric sections wherein a plurality of design yarns form an overplaid design, and to a method of making the same.

In hosiery, of the type set forth, each of the design yarns knits a series of stitches extending generally diagonally in portions of the hose leg to form a part of the overall overplaid design and wherein the body yarn is floated where the overplaid stitches are formed. In one type of overplaid design, successive ones of single stitches of the design yarns are disposed in successive wales of successive courses of the fabric with the alternate stitches of one configuration and with the intervening stitches of another configuration, the result being that the overplaid design lines are not uniform in appearance.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome this lack of uniformity in the appearance of the overplaid stitches and to provide an Argyle hose With an overplaid design comprising single stitches of the design yarns arranged in successive wales of successive courses, extending diagonally of the fabric wales and courses, wherein all of the design stitches are of uniform configuration.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method of knitting the aforementioned product wherein the stitches and floats of the body yarn courses are formed by reciprocating knitting in two directions at a feed of a reciprocating needle cylinder machine and wherein a pair of overplaid yarn stitches, for appearance in each of successive values of each of a successive pair of said body yarn courses, are formed by reciprocating knitting in one direction at another feed of the machine.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description thereof to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and from the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a side elevational view of an overplaid decorated Argyle hose of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the leg portion of the hose of Fig. l as severed along its rear central wale and laid fiat.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged stitch diagram of a portion of the fabric of Fig. 2 showing a few courses and wales of body and overplaid stitches wherein the overplaid design extends diagonally in one direction.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of another portion of the fabric of Fig. 2 wherein the overplaid design extends diagonally in the opposite direction.

Fig. 5 is a schematic view of four feeds and a circle of needles of a four feed knitting machine, which may be of the Reading CK type.

Fig. 6 is a schematic view showing the action of the needles at a pair of feeds of the machine during reciprocating knitting.

An Argyle hose is shown in Fig. 1 having the usual top 10, an overplaid decorated leg portion 11 of the present invention, and the usual foot portion 12. While the invention has been shown in connection with an overplaid design which extends completely around the leg of the hose, it is also applicable to designs of lesser extent, as in a panel overplaid decorated side diamonds for the hose.

The leg portion 11 of the hose, Fig. 2, has upper and lower front diamond shaped areas 13 and 14, usually made upon feed No. 3 of the machine, upper and lower rear diamond shaped areas 15 and 16 (here shown split), usually made upon feed No. 1 of the machine, upper and lower sidehalf diamond and center side diamond shaped areas 17, 18, and 19, of one side of the hose, usually made upon feed No. 4 of the machine, and upper and lower side half diamond and center side diamond shaped areas 20, 21, and 22, of the other side of the hose, usually made upon feed No. 2 of the machine. The several diamond shaped areas are suture joined to each other along the intervening lines 23, 23.

Within the scope of the present invention, the diamond shaped areas may be overplaid decorated with designs formed by four, by eight, or by other numbers of the design yarns, with the design yarns either crossing or not crossing each other in certain areas of the hose. In this instance, the hose is preferably decorated with a four yarn overplaid of which certain of the yarns cross each other, the four yarns being indicated at 24 through 27. Yarn 24 commences knitting in the widest part of upper side half diamond 17, extends diagonally therefrom to the center of upper rear diamond 15, thence, in reverse diagonal direction across side diamond 18 to the center of lower front diamond l4, and thence, in reverse diagonal direction to its terminal point in the widest part of lower half diamond 19. The path of yarn 26 is parallel to that of yarn 24 from the widest part of upper side half diamond to the center of the upper front diamond 13, across side diamond 21 to the center of lower rear diamond 16, and to the widest part of lower side half diamond 22. The paths of the yarns 25 and 27 are parallel and are reversely similar to the paths of the yarns 24 and 26, the yarns 26 and 27 crossing each other in side diamond 21 while the yarns 24 and 25 cross each other in side diamond 18.

As may be seen in Fig. 2, wherein the knitting proceeds from the top toward the bottom thereof, certain of the paths of overplaid stitches extend diagonally toward the left relative to the direction of knitting while others extend to the right. The path of yarn 24, from the half diamond 17 to the center of diamond l5, and the paths of all yarns parallel thereto, thus extend diagonally to the left, as shown in stitch detail in Fig. 3. The path of yarn 25, from the half diamond 17 to the center of diamond l3, and the paths of all yarns parallel thereto, thus extend diagonally to the right, as shown in stitch detail in Fig. 4. Therefore, for example, the yarn 24, as it extends from half diamond 17 to diamond 15 and from diamond 14 to half diamond 19 is incorporated as in Fig. 3, while it is incorporated as in Fig. 4 from the center of diamond 15 across diamond 18 to the center of diamond 14.

Referring to Fig. 3, a body yarn B is shown forming stitches of body fabric in wales 28 through 33 of courses 34 through 39, being floated in single wales at 40 at the rear of single wale stitches 41 of the design yarn 24, the stitches 41 being incorporated in successive wales of the successive courses of the fabric to extend diagonally thereof. It will noted, as each stitch 41 is drawn through a body stitch of yarn B, that the base portions 42, 43 of the legs thereof are not crossed upon each.

other and that the yarn 24, extends between successive wales, as at 44, between the near leg base portions 42, 43 of adjacent ones of the stitches 41 in successive courses. The arrangement of stitches in Fig. 4 is reversely similar to the arrangement shown in Fig. 3, and' the description of Fig. 3, using the same reference characters (without, however, the application of reference characters. to the wales and courses), isapplicable thereto.

The body fabric of Fig. 3, as it represents a portion of the upper side half diamond 17, may be made upon feed No. 4 of the machine of yarn B while the yarn 24 may be incorporated therein at feed No. 1, all during reciproeating knitting. The design yarn 25, shown in Fig. 2 but. not in Fig. 3, may be incorporated in this fabric section at feed No. 3. Keeping in mind that the hose proceeds top down through the circle of needles N, course 35 is made on feed No. 4 during stroke A of the needles N passing through the knitting wave K in the di rection of the arrow, Fig. 6, which is the forward or counter clockwise movement of the reciprocating circle of needles N, Fig. 5. During this stroke A, one of the needles N-2 does not pass through the wave K but remains at low level FF so that the body yarn is floated as at 40 in the fabric. During stroke B of the needles N, in the same direction at feed No. 1, all of the needles remain at low level FF and form no stitches. As the needle cylinder moves in the opposite direction which is the reverse or clockwise movement thereof, Fig. 5, shown by the arrows in strokes C and D, at feed No. l in stroke D the pair of needles N-l and N-2 knit stitches of yarn 7A for incorporation in the fabric as stitches 41 of the design. The stitch of yarn 24 on needle N-2 is thus on the needle forming the heat at stroke A and this will be stitch 41 in wale .32 of course 35. The stitch on needle N-l, to become stitch 41 of wale 31 in course 36, is knit through a body yarn stitch on the needle N1 forming wale 3 1, this body yarn stitch being a part of course 35. As knitting proceeds, in the same direction, at stroke C of feed No. 4, the needles N once again knit body yarn B to form course 36 by passing through the wave K, but needle N-1, having a stitch 41 of yarn 24 thereon, remains at low level FF to form float 40 of course 36, in this course the stitch 41 formed on needle N-2 at stroke D is cast off in the usual way and a stitch of body yarn in wale 32 of course 36 is formed therethrough. Similarly, upon the next pair of strokes of the needle circle, the courses 37 and 38 with the design stitches 41 in wales 39 and 2h will be formed. For the courses 37 and 38 the pair of needles to the right of needle N-l, Fig. 6, are selectively actuated in a manner similar to the described actuation of the needles N1 and N-2 for the float formations and for the knitting of the yarn 24. Other needles are so selected and so actuated for the other portions of the overplaid design.

In this manner the yarn 24 (and the yarn 25) is incorporated in half diamond 17, it being noted that a pair of stitches of each design yarn is formed during a knitting stroke in one direction at one feed for incorporation in each of a pair of body fabric courses formed in a pair of knitting strokes at an adjacent feed, one of'the pair of courses being formed before and the other of the pair of courses being formed after the formation of the pair of design stitches. In the method of knitting described, the diagonal direction of the overplaid stitch path is that of Fig. 3, however, there are times when the path is along the opposite diagonal as in Fig. 4. In respect to the same pair of feeds, Nos. 4 and l, and the center side diamond 18, the stitches of yarn 24 extend in the opposite diagonal direction. To accomplish this, Fig. 6, in stroke A at feed No. 4 needle N-l is at the low level to float yarn B while needle N-Z knits along with the other needles N. In stroke B at feed No. 1 the needles N-l and N-2 both knit stitches of yarn 24. In stroke D at feed No. 1 no knitting takes place and in stroke C at feed No. 4, the needle N-2. is at low level to float yarn- B while needle N- l knits along with the other needles N. The result of this change in the needle selections in strokes A and D and of the change to knitting in stroke B instead of stroke C, causes the overplaid stitches to extend along the opposite diagonal path of Fig. 4.

The yarn 25 is similary incorporated in all of the body fabric sections knit at feed No. 4, the yarn 25 being reciprocatingly knit in one direction at feed No. 3, and the relationship of the knitting at these two feeds is the same as that above described for the knitting at feeds Nos. 4 and 1. The yarns 24 and 25 are incorporated in the fabrics knit at feed No. 4 during the formation there of. With a crossing of the yarns 24 and 25 in the center of diamond 18, the positions of these yarns are exchanged at the feeds Nos. 4 and 1 when the center of diamond 18 is reached.

A similar method of knitting is followed for the other design yarns. The yarns 26 and 27 are incorporated at feeds Nos. 1 and 3 in the side half and center diamonds 20, 21, and 22, made at feed No. 2. The yarns 25 and 26 are incorporated at feeds Nos. 2 and 4 in the front diamonds 13 and 14, made at feed No. 3. The yarns 24 and 27 are incorporated at feeds Nos. 2 and 4 in the rear diamonds 15 and 16, made at feed No. 1.-

The present invention provides an overplaid design wherein the single stitches thereof, in successive single wales of successive single courses, are each of a uniform configuration which is substantially the same as the normal configuration of the surrounding body yarn stitches. The. portions 44 of the yarn 24, Figs. 3 and 4, between each pair of the stitches 41 thereof, extends from course to course between the near sides of each pair of the wales containing them and, otherwise stated, each portion 44 extends between the near leg portions of each pair of stitches 41, that is, between the leg base 42 of one stitch 41, and the near legbase 43 of the next adjacent stitch 41.

I claim:

1. A method of knitting including the step of forming a first course of stitches of a body yarn by knitting in one direction while forming a float of said yarn in one of the wales thereof, the step of forming a first and a second stitch of a design yarn by knitting in a single direction so that said first stitch is in said first course in said one wale and said second stitch is in a wale next thereto, and the step of forming a second course of stitches of said body yarn by knitting in the direction opposite to said one direction while forming a float of said body yarn in said next wale so that said second stitch is in said second course in said next wale.

2'. The method of knitting including the step of forming a first and a second course of stitches of a body yarn by reciprocating knitting while forming a float in each of said courses in a pair of successive wales thereof, and the step of forming a pair of stitches of a design yarn in said successive wales by reciprocating knitting in one direction, said pair of design yarn stitches being formed after the formation of said first course and prior to the formation of said second course.

3. The method of knitting on a reciprocating series of needles at a first and at a second feed including the step of forming a first course of stitches of a body yarn on certain of said needles at said first feed by a knitting stroke in one direction while floating said body yarn past a selected one of said certain needles, the step of forming a first and a second stitch of a design yarn on said selected needle and on a needle next thereto at said second feed by a knitting stroke in a single direction, and the step of forming a second course of stitches of said body yarn on certain of said needles at said first feed by a knitting stroke in the direction opposite to said one direction while floating said body yarn past said next needle.

4. Hosiery having a tubular leg portion formed of a plurality of suture joined areas of body fabric sections knit of body yarns individual thereto wherein at least:

one design yarn forms a series of single stitches extending in a first and in a second direction diagonally of said leg portion in successive single wales of successive single courses of at least one of said fabric sections and wherein the body yarn of said one fabric section is floated where said design yarn stitches are formed, all of said design yarn stitches having the same configuration.

5. Hosiery having a tubular leg portion formed of a plurality of suture joined areas of body fabric sections knit of body yarns individual thereto wherein at least one design yarn forms a series of single stitches extending in a first and in a second direction diagonally of said leg portion in successive single wales of successive single courses of at least one of said fabric sections and wherein the body yarn of said one fabric section is floated where said design yarn stitches are formed, said design yarn extending from stitch to stitch thereof between the near sides of adjoining ones of said successive wales, all of said design y-arn stitches having the same configuration.

6. Hosiery having a tubular leg portion formed of a plurality of suture joined areas of body fabric sections knit of body yarns individual thereto wherein at least one design yarn forms a series of single stitches extending in a first and in a second direction diagonally of said leg portion in successive single wales of successive single courses of at least one of said fabric sections and wherein the body yarn of said one fabric section is floated where said design yarn stitches are formed, said design yarn extending between the near leg portions of adjoining ones of the stitches formed thereof, all of said design yarn stitches having the same configuration.

7. Hosiery having a tubular leg portion formed of a plurality of suture joined areas of body fabric sections 6 knit of body yarns individual thereto wherein a first design yarn and a second design yarn each form a series of single stitches extending diagonally of said leg portion in successive single wales of successive single courses of at least one of said fabric sections and wherein the body yarn of said one fabric section is floated where said design yarn stitches are formed, the stitches of said first design yarn extending diagonally in one direction and the stitches of said second design yarn extending diagonally in the opposite direction, each of said design yarns extending between the near leg portions of adjoining ones of the stitches formed thereof, all of said design yarn stitches having the same configuration.

8. Hosiery having a tubular leg portion formed of a plurality of suture joined areas of body fabric sections knit of body yarns individual thereto wherein a first design yarn forms a first series of single stitches extending References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,588,718 Green Mar. 11, 1952 2,626,516 Green Ian. 27, 1953 

